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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis: A Critical But Neglected Factor Influencing School Participation Of Aboriginal Children In Rural Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
Soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), among the most common neglected tropical diseases, is a major public health problem in Malaysia with a possible impact on the nutritional status and school participation of rural children. This study was carried out among Aboriginal schoolchildren, living in an endemic area for STH in Malaysia, to determine the possible relationship between intestinal helminthiasis and school absenteeism. We also evaluated whether successful treatment of the infection will affect school attendance among the subjects. Stool analysis revealed that more than 90% of the subjects were infected with at least 1 helminth species, with Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura …
The Burden Of Moderate-To-Heavy Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections Among Rural Malaysian Aborigines: An Urgent Need For An Integrated Control Programme, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
Background: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, among the most common neglected tropical diseases, continue to be a major threat to the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of infected people especially children in developing countries. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 254 aboriginal schoolchildren was conducted in order to determine the current prevalence and intensity of infections and to investigate the potential risk factors associated with moderate-to-heavy burden of STH infections among these children. Results: Overall, 93.7% of children were found to be infected with one or more STH species. The prevalence of trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infections were 84.6%, 47.6% and 3.9%, respectively. …
Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients, Init Ithoi
Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
Toxoplasmosis is an important parasitic disease in immunosuppressed patients. This prospective study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence, associated risk factors and the incidence of clinically confirmed toxoplasmosis among renal patients at the University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We interviewed 247 renal patients, each of whom answered an epidemiological questionnaire, and collected blood samples for measurement of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA. Overall seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis was observed in 126 (51%) renal patients. Race (Malays), marital status (married) and primary level of education, were all factors associated with a greater chance of Toxoplasma infection. …
Isolation And Characterization Of Acanthamoeba Spp. From Air-Conditioners In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Isolation And Characterization Of Acanthamoeba Spp. From Air-Conditioners In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
During a study on the quality of the indoor environment, Acanthamoeba spp. were detected in 20 out of 87 dust samples collected from air-conditioners installed in a four-story campus building located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty-one cloned Acanthamoeba isolates designated as IMU1 to IMU21 were established from the positive primary cultures. Five species were identified from the 16 isolates according to the morphological criteria of Pussard and Pons; i.e. A. castellanii, A. culbertsoni, A. griffini, A. hatchetti and A. polyphaga. Species identities for the remaining five isolates (IMU4, IMU5, IMU15, IMU20 and IMU21), however, could not be determined morphologically. At …
Detection Of Free Living Amoebae, Acanthamoeba And Naegleria, In Swimming Pools, Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Detection Of Free Living Amoebae, Acanthamoeba And Naegleria, In Swimming Pools, Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
This study reports the detection of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species in 14 swimming pools around Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sampling was carried out at 4 sites (the platforms (P), wall (W), 1 meter from the wall (1) and middle (2)) of each swimming pool. These free living amoebae (FLA) were detected under light and inverted microscopes after being cultured on the surface of non-nutrient agar lawned with Escherichia coli. Acanthamoeba species were detected in higher number of culture plates from all sampling sites of all the swimming pools. While Naegleria, were detected in fewer culture plates at 3 …
Cloning And Expression Of Toxoplasma Gondii Dense Granular Protein 4 (Gra4) In Pichia Pastoris, Init Ithoi
Cloning And Expression Of Toxoplasma Gondii Dense Granular Protein 4 (Gra4) In Pichia Pastoris, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
GRA4 of Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to prompt IgG, IgM and IgA responses in previous studies and is thus considered one of the major immunogenic proteins from T. gondii that can be used for both diagnostics purposes and vaccine development. This study seeks to clone and express the GRA4 in Pichia pastoris, which has numerous advantages over other systems for expression of eukaryotic proteins. In order to achieve this, the gene was cloned into the pPICZ alpha A expression vector, which was then incorporated into the P. pastoris genome via insertional integration for expression of the recombinant protein, under …
Occurrence Of Giardia And Cryptosporidium (Oo)Cysts In The River Water Of Two Recreational Areas In Selangor, Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
This study is the first report on the occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts in recreational rivers water from Malaysia. It was carried out in water samples at two rivers, 'Sungai Congkak' and 'Sungai Batu', located in Selangor State. The occurrence of both Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum (oo)cysts was higher in Sungai Congkak (50% or 15/30 and 10% or 3/30 respectively) than Sungai Batu (16% or 5/30 and 3.3% or 1/30 respectively). The mean density of cysts/L was 0.72 in Sungai Congkak and 0.023 in Sungai Batu, and that of oocysts/L was 0.023 in Sungai Congkak and 0.0033 in …
Dirofilaria Causing Eye Infection In A Patient From Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Dirofilaria Causing Eye Infection In A Patient From Malaysia, Init Ithoi
Init Ithoi
During a study on the quality of the indoor environment, Acanthamoeba spp. were detected in 20 out of 87 dust samples collected from air-conditioners installed in a four-story campus building located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Twenty-one cloned Acanthamoeba isolates designated as IMU1 to IMU21 were established from the positive primary cultures. Five species were identified from the 16 isolates according to the morphological criteria of Pussard and Pons; i.e. A. castellanii, A. culbertsoni, A. griffini, A. hatchetti and A. polyphaga. Species identities for the remaining five isolates (IMU4, IMU5, IMU15, IMU20 and IMU21), however, could not be determined morphologically. At …
Tooth-Size Discrepancy And Bolton's Ratios: The Reproducibility And Speed Of Two Methods Of Measurement, Othman S. A., Harradine N. W.
Tooth-Size Discrepancy And Bolton's Ratios: The Reproducibility And Speed Of Two Methods Of Measurement, Othman S. A., Harradine N. W.
Siti Adibah Othman
OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the reproducibility and speed of two methods of performing Bolton's tooth-size analysis. DESIGN: Analysis of randomly selected clinical sample. SETTING: Bristol Dental Hospital, University of Bristol, United Kingdom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-treatment study casts of 150 patients were selected randomly from 1100 consecutively treated Caucasian orthodontic patients. Bolton tooth-size discrepancies and ratios were measured using two methods; one method employed entirely manual measurement and the Odontorule slide rule, while the other employed digital calipers and the HATS analysis software. Twenty study casts were measured twice, a week apart with both methods. Another three investigators also …
Training Examiners For A National Epidemiological Survey Of Oral Mucosal Lesions, Rosnah Binti Zain, Razak I. A., Ikeda N., Axéll T., Downer M. C.
Training Examiners For A National Epidemiological Survey Of Oral Mucosal Lesions, Rosnah Binti Zain, Razak I. A., Ikeda N., Axéll T., Downer M. C.
Prof. Dr. Rosnah Binti Zain
Ensuring the validity and reliability of data collected in epidemiological surveys is an important consideration. The purpose of the present report is to describe a training and calibration programme for 16 examiners taking part in a national survey of oral mucosal lesions and to present an evaluation of the results. The programme included the distribution of a pictorial manual to participants and a series of lectures followed by three diagnostic sessions, two using slides and the last involving patients. At the final session, the trainees classified 88 per cent of 16 patients correctly in comparison with the definitive diagnoses of …